FROM THE HEART TO THE GUT – THE HEALTHY JOURNEY OF ALMONDS INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY

A small but extraordinary concentrate of well-being.

The journey of almonds inside our body is a healthy itinerary for many of our organs. As a matter of fact, the whole body greatly benefits from the regular consumption of almonds, a cure-all we cannot do without.

Crunchy, appetizing and extremely tasty, almonds are an invaluable natural mine of benefits for human health, because of their countless organoleptic characteristics, which make them a perfect snack, healthy and nutritionally balanced.

In light of the latest scientific studies about intestinal and cardiovascular health, today we analyze these two perspectives.

ALMONDS AS ALLIES OF THE INTESTINE

The human intestine functions as the gateaway to our entire immune system, with about 80% of the processes related to it starting there.

Among the many therapeutic properties of dried fruit, especially almonds, stands out the ability to counteract gut inflammation and greatly strenghten the intestine, by being an excellent natural source of probiotics, responsible for a healthy and balanced intestinal bacterial flora.

A recent study carried out in the UK by researchers at King’s College London, led by Professor Kevin Whelan and published on the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, determined how the regular consumption of almonds exponentially increases the presence of butyrate, a particular and beneficial fatty-acid. The latter is the primary fuel source for colonocytes, the cells that line the colon, and plays an important role in several processes related to human health, including counteracting inflammation, improving sleep quality and lowering the risk of colon cancer.

Therefore, the impact that these small seeds have on the health of gut microbiota is associated to the production of these short-chain fatty acids. Within the intestine, these molecules act by regulating the absorption of other nutrients, affecting positively and improving balance of the entire immune system.

The consumption of almonds also increases stool output, which proves it to be good especially in the case of constipation.

Potentially, these results seems to suggest us a further confirmation about the fact that a regular consumption of almonds can promote bacterial metabolism in a way that has the potential to influence human health conditions.

A portion of about 56 g whole natural almonds a day is enough to keep the digestive system healthy.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEART WITH ALMONDS

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

But almonds come to us as small and tasty natural helpers, with their beneficial effects, in order to rebalance the health of the most important organ of the human body.

They contain, in fact, a good percentage of monounsaturated fats, fibers and vitamin E (the main antioxidant) which fight the increase in blood pressure and help maintain normal levels of cholesterol in blood, preventing the risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases.

Moreover, due to the presence of fatty acids and Omega3, almonds protect the arteries by favoring a better circulation and decreasing the risk of heart attack or arteriosclerosis.

Another specific research carried out by King’s College London has evalueted the effects of almonds on heart rate variability in response to mental stress. The latter is, in fact, among the psychosocial factors that contribute more to cardiovascular disease risk. Lifestyle, physical activity and diet are the aspects which are thought to greatly affect this aspect. A higher HRV represents greater adaptability of the heart, while a lower HRV level is linked to the loss of functionality and adaptation.

This study proved that the simple intake of almonds as a snack in the context of one’s diet may bolster resilience to the cardiovascular effects caused by mental stress, by improving regulation of heart rate.

Therefore, in a handful of almonds there is a natural full of well-being and energy. An essence of long life that can help us live better and longer.

PRESERVING HEALTH WITH ALFRUS ALMONDS

Every day we bring the best and carefully selected almonds to the world, thoroughly checked in our laboratories and processed in a respectful way, in order to ensure that none of the extraordinary beneficial properties of these noble fruits is lost.

We carefully preserve the original taste of each one of our products and its nutritional properties, through natural production cycles.

One of the many guarantees that push the major food and confectionery industries to choose our products, today and always.